Machine for assembling clothespins



Feb. 8 1927.-

s. s. TAINTER MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING CLOTHESPINS Filed April 13, 1926 4Sheets-Sheet l INVEZN'PEII/IZ 51W Feb. 8,1927. 1,636,641

s. s. TAINTER MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING cnomwsrms Filed April 13, "1926 I 4Sheets-Sheet 2 if INvENfFEU z Mam b W AME.

Feb. 8, 1927.

s. s. TAINTER MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING CLOTHESPINS Filed April 13. 1926 4Sheets-Sheet 5 1927' s. s. TAINTERL MACHINE FOR-ASSEMBLING CLOTHESPINSFiled April 13, 1926 t 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jay/Z0 certain parts of atentedFeb. 8,1927. v

SIMON S. PAINTER, OF DIXFIELD, MAINE.

MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLIHG CLOTHESPINS.

Application filed Apri1 l3, 1926. Serial No. 101,835.

A well-known form of clothes-pin comprises two clamping membersgenerally made of wood and a spring member, the spring member having acoil portionwhich lies between the two clamping members intermediatetheir ends, the ends ofsaid spring having portions which engage theclamping members to secure the spring thereto, all so arranged that saidspring will normally holdthe jaw portions of the clamping members inyielding engagement with each other, the other ends of said clampingmembers serving as handles which are normally spread apart when theclamping jaws are closed and which may be pressed toward each other bythe user in order to open the jaw members. The objeet of the presentinvention is to provide a machine for assembling the clamping membersand spring together.

The invention will be fully understood from the following descriptionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novelfeatures thereof will be pointed. out and clearly defined in the claimsat the close of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a substantially complete machineembodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, the feeding meansfor the clamping members being omitted.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a completed and assembled clothes pin.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the springmember before it is assembledwith the clamping members. Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are diagramsillustrating successive positions of the .work and the machine duringthe cycle of operations. v

Fig. 11 is a section on line 11 of Fig. 9. Referring to the drawings,particularly to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the so-called snap clothes pin forwhich the machine is especially adapted is indicated at C and comprisestwo clamping members generally made of wood having handle portions a, 1)respectively, terminating at their opposite ends in jaw portions a, brespectively, and a spring member S which secures the clampcut-awayportions orgrooves and then feeding the clamping ing members together.intermediate their ends in such a manner as to form a fulcrum somewhatsimilar to a pair of pincers and at the same time holding the jawsyieldingly in engagement with each other. In this position the rear endsof the handles are spread apartbut when the handles are pressed towardeach other the jaw portions will be spread apart. The spring member isformed with a barrel portion d and with upper and lower leg portions 6and f re spectively. The upper arm 6 has an inwardly extendingsubstantiall lateral portion 9 which has a right ang e bend at its freeend to form a downwardly extending portion h. The lower-arm f has acorrespondingly inwardly extending lateral portion 2' which has a rightangle bend at its free end to form an upwardly extending portion 3'.

Each handle member a, b has a substan- I tially semi-circular cut-awayportion or groove k on its inner side intermediate the endscorresponding to the curvature of the barrel portion of the spring.Between the k and the jaw each handle member is formed with a notch Z onits outer side for the reception of the free ends h, j of the spring.The jaw members areformed with cooperating curved notches m, m to allowfor the clothes line in well-known manner. 4 Before assembly, appears asshown in the spring member S Figs. 6 and 7 with the free ends it and 7'in engagement with'each other. It is the object of this machine toassemble the parts by first spreading the free ends of the spring apartfrom each other members forward to cause the handle portions a, b of theclamping members to enter between the spread free ends of :the springfar enough for the cut-away or groove portions 70 of the clampingmembers 'to embrace thebarrel portion of the spring at which time thefree ends of the spring are permitted to'snap toward each other andengage with the notches Z in the outer sides of the clamping members. I

Preferably, the machine is provided with means for automatically feedingthe clamping members and the springs to the assembling mechanism. Forconvenience, the .feed mechanism will be briefly described first. Thetwo co-operating clam ing members and the spring for each clot es pmall,

from the tion for the assembling operation.

\engagement with the barrel of the sp scribed hereinafter.

the pin slide have separate feeding mechanism. There are two hoppers 20,21, for the clamping members, two rotary feed wheels 22, 23,respectively, to receive the clamping members hoppers, and verticalchutes or guideways 24, 25, into which the said clamping members aredelivered by the rotary feed wheels, the said clamplng members '1sliding by gravity down the guideways into 10 proper relative ositionfor the assembling operation. Preihrably, a partition 96 is providedbetween the guideways 24, 25. This feed mechanism will be moreparticularly described hereinafter.

sist of avertieal chute 26 having a guide way 27 into which the springsare fed to slide by gravity down onto a bed 28 where each spring in turnwill be in proper posi- A pin 29 normally projects up through anaperture in the bed 28 in alinement with the axis of the barrel of thespring and extends through the said barrel to hold the spring in posi-25 tion on its bed during thespreading of the arms of the spring and theassembling of the clamping members with the spring. The springs shouldbe so positioned when fed into the chute 26 that the axis of the barrel30 d of the spring will be in alinement with the axis of the pin 29. Thesaid pin is mounted on a slide member 30 vertically slidable in r thebed 28 and means are provided for moving the slide to carry the pin downoutof ring after the parts are assembled to permlt the removal of theassembled clothes pin. The,

mechanism for actuating the said slide 30 and pin 29 will be moreparticularly de- Means are provided for spreading the two opposite armsof the spring preliminary to the insertion of the clamping membersbetween said arms. The bed 28 is formed with a guide way 31 for 30. Thelower arm of the spring rests on the top of the bed and the barrelextends up above the bed. Side guides 32, 32 are provided to form aguide way 40 in which the clamping'members are 0 moved in assemblingthem with the spring.

In order to spread the fingers k, j of the spring, the arms e, f whichare in different vertical planes flaring away from each other have to bemoved toward each other, that is, Into vert1cal planes wh ch aremorenearly together, although the horizontal planes in ,which they moveremain the samev so that the vertical distance between the said arms e,f, remains the same. The said spreading means consist of twohorizontally movable spreader bars 34, 35, mounted respectively onslides 36, 37 movable in guideways in the bed of the machine in oppositedirections to each other, the upper spreading member 34 being adapted toengage the upper arm 6 of The feed mechanism for the springsconsufficient movement to spread the arms 6, f

of the spring a sufficient distance to permit entrance of the handles a,b of the clamping member. Recesses 3, 3 are formed in the side walls 32,32 of the guideway 40 to receive the ends of the arms of the spring whenthey are spread apart.

The clamping members are discharged from the lower ends of the verticalguideways 24, 25 into the horizontal guide way 40 in the bed of themachine. Aslide member- 42 is provided which is adapted to engage therear ends of the jaw portions a b of the-clamping members to push thesaid clamping members alon .in the guide way and push the handleportions 0:, Z) in between the fingers h, j after they arespread apart.The slide first moves forward to bring the curved notches k, is intoalinement with the barrel of the spring and at the same time to bringthe notches Z, Z into alinement with the vertical fingers h, j'of thespring at which time the fingers h, j, will snap into the notches Z, Zdue tothetension of the spring, and the curved. notches or grooves k,'lcof the clamping members will snap into engagement with the barrel d ofthe spring. The slide then moves forward a short distance furthertoeject the assembled Clothespin. v

Means are provided to actuate the incarrying slide 30, the spring spr'eaing members 34 and 35 and the-pusher slide 42 for the clamping membersin proper timed relation to each other. Any suitable means may beprovided. 1

The particular means shown in the drawings is a series of cams 50, 51',52 mounted on a drive shaft 4. Thepin slide 30 is actuated .by the rimcam '50 mounted on said shaft 4. A spring '5 is'conneeted at its lowerend to a collar 6 loose on the shaft4-and is connected-at its upperendtoa ing from the slide 30. The said spr ng holds the lower end of theslide 30 in constant engagement with the periphery ofthe cam 50. Thesaid camis formed with a Y pin 7 project-v and carry'the pin 29 downoutofengagement with the barrel of the spring so that the assembledclothes pin can be removed. As soon as said cam 50 has rotated farenough to bring the inclined end of the depressed portionof the cam tothe pin, the said pin willride up' on the inclined end 10 on the rim ofthe cam, and the slide and pin will be carried up into operativeposition ready to receive the barrel of the next spring.

The two slides 36, 37 which carry the .spreaders 34, are respectivelyactuated by the cams 51, 52 through intermediate mechanism as follows: Alever 53 fulcrumed at 54 carries on its lower arm a cam roll 55 whichengages the rim of the cam 51 and is pivotally connected at its upperend at 56 with the slide 36. A tension spring 57 holds the cam roll 55in engagement with the periphery of the cam.

When the cam roll 55 rides on the high part 58 of the cam the slide 36is moved forward-to cause the spreader bar 34 to engage and move thespring arm 6. When the cam roll 55 rides ofi of the high part of the camand on to the lower part 59, the spreader slide will be retracted by thespring 57.

A lever 60 fulcrumed at 61 carries on its lower arm a cam roll 62 whichengages the rim of cam .52 and is pivotally connected'at its upper endat 63 with the slide 37. A tension spring 64 holds the cam roll 62 inengagement with the periphery of the cam 52.

- When the cam roll 26 rides on the high part 65 of the cam 52 the slide37 is moved forward to cause the spreader bar 35 to engage and push thespring arm 7 in the opposite direction to the movement of spring arm 6.When the cam roll 62 rides ofi of the high part of said cam onto thelower part 66 the spreader slide -will be retracted by the spring 64. N

The slide member 42' for moving the clamping members into engagementwith the spring S is actuated by an edge cam 67 on shaft 4 throughintermediate mechanism as follows: A lever 68 fulcrumed at 69 carries atone end a roll 70 Which-engages the edge of the cam 67. The other end ofsaid lever v68 is pivotally connected by a stud 71 with the outer end ofa lever 72 fulcrumed at 73 to the frame of the machine. The inner end ofsaid lever 72 is pivotally connected at 74 with the slide member 42.Thefulcrum connection at 73 and pivotal connectiom at 74 are throughelongated slots to allow proper movement of'the lever. When the roll 70rides,on the high part 75 of the cam 67 the slide 42 is moved forwardfor the assembling operation. When the roll 70 rides oif into the lowerpart 76 of the cam a tension spring 77 will retract the said slide.

It is important to have a dwell of the slide 42 after the parts areassembled and before plurality the additional forward movement to permitI the pin 29 to be withdrawn from engagement with the spring. The-cam 67is formed with a fiat place 78 to permit the dwell for this purpose.

The feed wheels 22, 23 are formed with pockets or grooves 80 extendingtransversely of the periphery of the wheels into which the blankclamping members will be delivered by gravity through the outlet in thebottom of i the hopper. The attendant should see that the clampingmembers all lie parallel with each other in the hopper and with thehandle ends all pointing in the same direction, so 4 through thevertithing like a roll, mounted on a spindle 82 and having peripheralbeads 83, 84 which are adapted to engage in the grooves k andm in theclamping member, ifthe clamping mem- "ber blank is in proper position.In each case, the clamping member blank will ride under the doctorwithout being disturbed.

If a clamping member is lying inincorrect position so that the grooves70, m/ register with the beads 83, 84, the blank will be knocked orkicked out of the pocket and back into the hopper again. Preferably thedoctor or at least the beads, are of rubber so not to injure the blank.In order to provide a convenient means for keeping the "chute 26supplied with springs, I provide separate holders onto which a pluralityof springs may be strung and which may be positioned so that the springsmay be automatically fed therefrom to the chute.

of these filled holders may be kept at hand so that the attendant mayreadily replace an empty holder by one of the filled ones. One suitableform of holder is shown A doctor it .is not in correct position. Thedocdo not in Fig. 1 of the drawings and is as follows: i

It comprises a wire spindle or rod 85secured to a holder member 86 andolfset there-I from so that the springs can slide freely on the spindleWithout interference with the .holder.

The spindle is shown as being bent at its upper end to form an arm 87 bywhich itis secured to the holder 86. The holder 86 has secured theretoone leaf 88 of a hinge.

A ,co-operating hinge member 89 is secured to the vertical chute 26 andhas secured thereto a hinge pin 91. The hinge member 88 has a'barrelmember 92 which can readily be engaged with the-hinge pin 91 by theattendant so as to connect the separable holder 86 with the verticalchute in such position that the springs strung on tlie wire spindle 1the lever maybe adjusted so as to position the separable holder atvarying angles of inclination if desired. It is referable to have theholder at a slight ang e of inclination with relation to the chute asshown.

A driving pulley 95 is shown on shaft 4.

Having thus described my invention, I-

claim v 1. In a machine of the character described,

means for spreading the arms of the spring of a snap clothes pin, andmeans for feeding the two clamping members of the clothes pin betweenthe spread arms of the springl 2. In a maphine of the characterdescribed, means for spreading the arms of the spring of a snap clothespin, means for feeding the two clamping members of the clothes pinbetween the spread arms of the spring, and means for releasing thespreading pressure on the spring arms after the "clamping members haveentered between the said arms to a predetermined position in relationthereto.

In a machine of thecharacter described for assembling the clampingmembers of a snap clothes pin with a spring having an in-' tel-mediatecoiled portion and having its end portions terminating in arms to engagethe outer sides of the clamping members, means for spreading the arms ofthe spring to admit the two clamping members'of the clothes pin betweenthe spread arms,and means for clothes pin feeding the said clampingmembers between the spread arms of the spring. 4.- In a machine of thecharacter described for assembling the clamping members of a pin with aspring having an intermediate coiled portion and having its end portionsterminating in armsto engage the outer sides of the clamping members,means for spreading-the arms of the spring to admit the two clampingmembers 'of the snap clothes for feeding the said clamping members be-.tween the spread arms of the spring, and means for releasing thespreading pressure on the spring arms after the clamping members haveentered between the said arms to a predetermined position in relationthereto.

5. In a machine of the character described for assembling the clampingmembers of :1 having an intermediate coiled portion having its endportions terminating in arms to engagethe outer sides of the clampingmembers, and

means for causing the arms of the spring to s come into. clampingengagement with the outside of the clamping members of the pin the upperend of the pin 94 projecting from the. By providing a series ofnotches,-

arms at its free ends,

between the spread arms, means and to bring the coil portion of thespring iii between the said clamping members of t e in. I 6. In amachine of the character described, means for spreading. the free endsofa coil spring in which the coil forms an intermediate barrel portionterminating in arms at its free ends, the spread arms of the spring twocooperating clamping members of a clothes pin formed with notches toengage the said barrel and arms of the spring whereby the said arms andthe barrel 'are permitted to snap into the notches in the clampingmembers.

7. In a machine of the character deand means for feeding between of acoilspring in which the coil forms an intermediate barrel portionterminating in means for feeding be.- tween the spread arms of the sring two co: operating clamping members 0 a clothes pin formed withnotches to engage the said barrel and arms ofthe spring whereby the saidarms and the barrel are ermitted to snap into the notches in the camping' members, and means for releasing the spreader mechanism from thespring after ing members are assembled with the sprin i 8. In a machineof the character described, means for spreading the free ends of a coilsprin in which the coil forms an intermediate its free ends, means forfeeding between ing clamping members of a clothes pin formed withnotches to engage the said barrel and arms of the spring whereb the saidarms and the barrel are permitted to snap into the notches in theclamping members, means for releasing the spreader mechanism from thespring after the members are assembled with the sprin a reciprocablemember which engages the arrel of the spring during the. assemblingoperation, and means for withdrawing said engaging member from thebarrel after the parts are assembled. r

9. In a machine of the character described, means for spreading thespring in which the coil forms an intermediatebarrel portion terminatingin arms at its free ends, means for feeding between the spread arms ofthe spring two cooperating clamping members of a clothes pin formed withnotches to engage the said barrel and arms of the spring whereby thesaid arms and barrel of the spring are permitted to snap into thenotches in the clamping members, means for releasing the spreadermechanism from the said spring after the said freeends of a coil thesaid clamparrel portion terminating in arms at said clam ping clampingmembers are assembled with the prin a reciprocable pin which engages thebarrel of the spring during the assembling operation, means forwithdrawing the pin 3 site arms of the spring an clamping members bersofa snap c othes pin,

wheels into which respect vely the clampafterthe parts are assembled,the actuating mechanisms for for the feeding mechanism for the clampingmembers and the actuating mechanism for l thereciprocable pin'being allso timed with relation to each other that the said pin will bebrought-into engagement with the spring before the spreading members open thearms of the spring and W111 be retained in such engagement until thespring and arms are fully assembled and then will be withdrawn fromengagement with the spring to permit the assembled clothes pintobe-removed.

10. In a machine of the character I described for assembling theclamping members of a snap clothes pin with a spring having anintermediate portion coiled in barrel form and having its end portionstermiv nating 1n arms to engage the outer sides of the clamping members,a reciprocable member adapted to engage the barrel of the spring to holdit in position during the assembhng operation, two oppositely disposedslide members adapted to en age the oppospread them apartfrom eachother, a support for the two which holds them in passage between the twoalinement with the arms of the spring, means for pushing the bers inbetween the said clamping mem spread arms of the spring and thenwithdrawing, means for retracting the spreader members for the arms ofthe spring, and means for actuating said barrel engaging member, sotimed that said member will, engage the barrel of the spring before theclamping member'sand spring are assembled and then withdraw fromengagementwith the barrel of the spring.

11. In a machine of the character described, two upright feed chutesadjacent .each other for a pair of clamping members for a snap clothespin, and 'a partition member between said feed chutes to maintain thetwoclamping members of "each pair separated from each other during thepassage thereof to the assembliiig mechanism.

12. In a machine of the character described, two hoppers for theclamping members of a snap clothes pin, two rotary feed wheels intowhich respectively the clamping.

members are dehvered from said hoppers and two upright feed chutes intowhich the said clamping members are respectively delivered by the saidfeed wheels. 13. In a machine of the character described; two hop ersfor the clamping memtwo rotary feed wheels into which spin ing membersare delivered from said hop- 6 the spreading mechanism, ;pers, twoupright feed chutes into which the said clamping members arerespectively delivered by the said feed wheels,

said feed wheels being formed with pockets each ofwhich is adaptedtoreceive a single clampmg member in .a predetermined position to bedelivered to the assembling mechanism 14. In a machine of the characterde- I scribed, two hoppers for the clamping members of a snap clothespin, two rotary feed respectively the clamping members are deliveredfrom said hoppers, two upright feed chutes into which the said -clampingmembers are respectively delivered by the said feed wheels, said feedwheels being formed with pockets each of which is adaptedto receiveasingle clamping memher 'in a predetermined position to be delivered tothe assembling mechanism anda doctor adjacent each feed wheel'sodisposed that it will throw' out of the feed wheel any clamping memberwhich does not lie in the pocket in. the predetermined position, said'doctor consisting of a rotary member having peripheral ribs adapted toengage .-with notches inthe clamping position and thereby permit thesaid clamp:

clamping member ifthemember is .in its predetermined ing member to ridepast thedoctor, said ribs being adapted to engage the clamping member insuch manner as to throw it out of the feed wheel if the clamping memberis not in its predetermined position to bring its notches in alinementwith the said ribs.

1 5. In a machine of the character descrlbed, an upright feed chute forthe springs of a snap clothes pin, said springs having an intermediatebarrel portion formed bythe coil'of the spring, the ends of the springsterminating in arms, a-guideway for the springs, in combination with aseparable holder for a plurality of springs to be fed into said chute,said holder comprising a spindle on which a plurality of engaging withthe sprm s may be strung 'by barre thereof, and a holder for saidspindle having means for detachably connecting the.

vsame with the machine in such position that the firings may slidebygravity from said e down into the guideway of the feed chute.

said feed chute having In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature. SIMONs. Time.

